Seongbuk-gu District Mayor Lee Seung-ro: 'I Will Stay in the Field in the 9th elected term'

Seoul's Seongbuk-gu District Mayor Lee Seung-ro held a separate "on-site inauguration" Wednesday — a day after his official festival-style ceremony with residents — visiting community sites across the district to hear directly from residents and signal that his 9th elected-term administration would remain rooted in the field.

The on-site inauguration took the form of hands-on inspections spanning the full range of district administration, from disaster safety response systems to housing conditions, cultural infrastructure, youth entrepreneurship and child-friendly policy.

The first stop was the Disaster Safety Operations Center and Integrated Control Center, where Lee reviewed heatwave and flood-prevention response systems along with CCTV monitoring operations, closely examining the district's readiness for summer emergencies.

He then visited the Samseon District 5 housing redevelopment project site, the outdoor stage construction at Gaeunsan Stadium and the Gaeunsan Book Rest Area development site, checking on resident safety and improvements to the living environment. The Samseon District 5 project covers approximately 63,918.5 square meters around 296 Samseon-dong 2-ga and will deliver 19 buildings ranging from four below-ground to 18 above-ground floors, with 1,223 units including 208 rental units.

At the Gaeunsan Book Rest Area site, Lee inspected progress to ensure construction was proceeding safely and on schedule, and asked that worker safety be treated as the top priority amid the heatwave. The facility targets a total floor area of 496 square meters within Gaeunsan Neighborhood Park and aims to create a lifestyle and cultural space where residents can enjoy books and nature as part of their daily lives.

Lee also visited the Seongbuk Youth Smart Startup Center, where he encouraged sole-proprietor startup founders and listened to their concerns. The district plans to use the feedback to energize the youth entrepreneurship ecosystem and develop support policies that residents can feel in practice.

He then traveled to the Jangwi Stormwater Pump Station and the Jangwi District 3 area to inspect heavy-rain response systems and review safety management of semi-basement households and vacant buildings within the redevelopment zone. Seongbuk-gu said it would protect residents' lives and property through thorough advance inspections and swift responses, while minimizing inconvenience during redevelopment and building a residential environment where everyone can live with peace of mind.

As the final stop, Lee visited Seokgwan Elementary School, where he observed a class on urban planning for a child-friendly city before holding a roundtable discussion with students.

"The 9th elected term must begin not with performative events but on the ground where residents actually live," Lee said. "I will continue an administration that goes directly to the field and finds answers there — to create changes that residents can feel across disaster safety, housing, culture, youth and child policy."